Time-controlled mechanism.



J. 1. NOETH.

TIME CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLlcAHoN man 1AN.19,1916.

1,209,748. Patented, Deo. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. Ik@ f/0765130 IN VEN TOR,

A TTORNE YS.

l. J. NOETH.

TIME CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-19.1916.

1 ,209348. Patented Deo. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. V

IN N TOR A TTORNE YS.

` invention is not limited thereto, various JOHN I. NOETH, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIME-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

specification of Letters Patent. Pawn-Qd De@ 26, 19m,

Application :tiled January 19, 1916. Serial No. 72,964.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN J. NOETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Time- Controlled Mechanisms of which the following is a specification.

The mechanism which is the subject matter of the present application for patent has been designed for automatically performing an operation and regulating the length of time before the operation is performed. l

The invention has been illustrated in connection with an egg boiler, the receptacle containing'the eggs being immersed in the boiling water and withdrawn there rom after a predetermined interval of time.

However, it is to be understood-that this particular application of the invention is used for illustrative purposes only, and the other applications and modes of use being obvious.

It is the object of the invention to provide a mechanism of the kind stated which is comparatively simple in construction, and withal reliable in operation, and to this end, the invention consists in a novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinl after described and claimed.

In order that the inventionlmay be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which- I igure lis a front elevation lof the mechanism; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevation of a fragment of the mechanism and Fig. 4is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a weight, and Fig. .6 is a frontelevation showing the particular ap plicationof the invention.

Referring specifically to' the drawings, 10

` denotes a receptacle in which the eggs to 'be boiled are placed, said receptacle being positioned above a boiler 11 in which it is 1mmersed and then withdrawn after a predetermined period of time. The receptacle is supported by a hoisting device, which may be a chain 12 trained over a pulley 13. Connection between the receptacle and the chain is made .by a rod 14 connected to and extending from the receptacle and mad'e fast at its upper end to one end of the chain. On the other end of the chain is hung a weight 15 of sucient mass to Overbalance the recepchain 12. The sides of tacle ,and its contents. The weight is slidably mounted in a hollow upright 16 which also supports, at its upper end, the pulley 13, the upright being here provided with an openlng 17 V through which the chain passes. The weight is cored out hollow to receive the requlsite amount of lead or other heavy material, which is introduced through a bottom hole fitted with a plug 18. The top of the weight has two ears 19 for attachment of the the weight are sunk, as lndicated at 20, to allow a lubricant to pass freely and prevent sticking of the weight in the upright 16.

One side of the weight 15 has a longitudinal recess in which seats and is made fast a rack bar 21 which faces outward and is de- `slgned to come in mesh with a pinion 22 mounted on a shaft 23 carried by a suitable support '24 mounted on the back of the upright 16, the latter having a slot through whichthe pinion projects so that it may come in mesh with the rack bar. The pinion 22 is loose on the shaft 23,` and on the latter is fixed a ratchet wheel 25 engageable by a pivoted pawl 26 carried by the pinion, whereby the motion of the shaft in one direction only is transmitted to the pinion, andthe latter is free to slip in one direction. The shaft 23 is connected by a train 27 of reducing gears to the shaft 28 of an electric motor 29.

The circuit of the motor 29 is automatically controlled by the following means: On a shaft 30, carried by the support 24, below the shaft 23, is fixed a rocker arm 31.carry ing at its outer end an idler wheel 32 which is positioned to extend into the upright 16 through an opening in the .back thereof, and

thus come into the path of the weight 15. 0n the shaft 30 is also fixed a rocker larm 33 extending in the o posite direction from the rocker arm 31. T eouter end of the rocker arm 33 is engaged by one end of a springpressed bolt 34 slidably mounted in a support 35 carried by. the upright 16. rlhe other end of the bolt engages a movable contact 36 opposite a stationary contact 37, to which contacts the circuit wires 38 of the motor 29 are connected. The contacts. are normally separated and the motor circuit 1s thus open. Upon advancing the bolt 34 the contact 36 is carried over against the contact 37 to close the motor circuit, and upon retracting the bolt, the contacts separate and break the circuit, the contact 36 being revmounted a stop bar 40 connected to and depending fromfl the bottom of a scale bar 41 which extends from the top of the upright, and has side notches 42 engageable by a catch 43 for locking the scale bar in adjusted position and thus holding the stop bar fixed. The stop bar 40 is angular in cross section where it passesV through a guide 44 in the upright, so, that it is prevented from turnv ing, and the upper end of the bar is threaded, as indicated at 45, to screwinto the bottom socket of a rod 46 passing lengthwise through the scale bar 41. The upper end of the rod 46 protrudes through the scale bar and has a knurled head 47, and upon turningthe rod by means of this head the stop bar may be adjusted lengthwise relative to the scale bar, the lower end of the rod into which theV stop bar is lscrewed acting as a nut to raise or lower the stop bar, the latter being non-rotatable by reason of its angular cross section. The obje'ct of this adjustment is to adapt the mechanism to different designs of motors.

The scale bar 41` is pressed into engagement with the catch 43 by a spring 48 in the upright 16.

The operation ofthe mechanism may be summarized as follows: The `sca-le bar 41 is first set for the period of time the receptacle 10 is to be kept immersed in theboiler 11, and the stop bar' 40 is thus positioned the proper distance above the weight 15 to limit the height to which it may rise. The recepy:so

-tacle is now manually lowered into the boiler until the weight reaches the bottom of the stop bar. As the receptacle is thus lowered, the weight rises, and its end 39 engages .the idler Wheel 32 to-` swing the rocker arms 31 and3'3 to close the motor circuit as hereinbefore described. When the weight ris eley vated as described its rack 21 comes in mesh with the pinion 22., The motor 29 is now operating, and through the gearing 2 7\t`he shaft 23 is turned very slowly, this motion being transmitted through theratchet wheel 25 and the pawl 26 to the pinion 22, and as the latter is now in mesh with the rackbar 21, it will be evident that the weight is being allowed to slowly-descendV and the receptacle is being slowly withdrawn from the boiler. When theweight has descendeda suflicient distanceto-v disengage the rack bar 21 from the pinion 2.2, the weight is sud- `denly released and it drops by gravity down vto thebott'o'rn' of the upright 16, thereby liftrename ing the receptacle 10 from the boiler 11. At the same time,`the weight clears the idler wheel 52 and allows the arm-31 to swing forward to break the motor circuit, so that the motor29 also stops. The length of time the receptacle ,is immersed depends on the posi-` tion` ofl the stop bar 28. r,lhe higher this bar is positioned the longer will be the period the weights descent is checked or retarded tion for the reason v that a correct timing to v within a fraction of. a second is possible.

. Fig. 6 shows the grouping of several boiler units, only7 -one motor 29 and'speed reducing gearing 27 being employed, and the shaft 23being common to all the units. Although the shaft 23 may be in constant operation, the timingy of each unit will not be adected.` Two units are shown for a boiling period of one minute, one unit for two minutes, and the remaining unit for three minutes. Assuming now that the unit set for one minute is placed in operation,

GO z

and the one set for three minutes a few seconds later, then the dropping of the weight of the first lunit will notafect the second `unitto the extent lof cutting out the motor,

las the weight of the second unit isstill. slowly descending and holdingthel circuit closed.

lt will be understood that thelmotor 29 is not to be considered as a means 4 for causing the desoentof the weight 15. The function of the motor is to time the descent yof the weight. As the receptacle 10 is lowered 'into the boiler 11 at the ,commencement of the operation, the weight 15y ascends, the pawl 26 now slipping around the ratchet wheel 25,.

the motor 29 not yet having Vpicked `up enough speed to turn they ratchet wheel i through the distance of one-tooth. Whelr the weight 15 reaches the stop lbar 40 and is released, it has an immediate tendency to drop, but it is kept from doing so bythe slowly rotating 'ratchet wheel 25, and the pawl engaging oneof theteeth of the'latter. 'llhe weight therefore cannot descend faster than the speed at which the ratchet wheel-"is turned, 'but being heavy it will descend as 7 fast as 4'therfitchet wheel allows it to ,do so.

1. A time-controlled mechanism comprising a hoisting device having article-supporting means atl one end, a weight' connectedto the other end of 4the hoisting device, an element for checking the descent of i f free to drop by gravity, and a motor for l vice,- an element for checking the descent of.; `the weight, means for coupling the weight actuating the checking element controlled by the weight.

2. A time-controlled mechanism comprising a hoisting device having article-sup-I porting means yat one end, a weight connected to the other end of thel hoisting device, an element for checking the descent of the weight, means for coupling the weight to said element upon elevating the latter, the ascent of the weight being variable, and said Weight being freed from the checking .ele-v ment after having made a partial descent left unsupported andy free to drop by gravity, an electric motor for .actuating the checking element, a switch "controlling the motor circuit, and actuating and thereafter bein means forI said switch controlled by? the weight.

3. A `time-controlled mechanism comprising a hoisting device having article-supporting means at one end, a weight con-` nected to the other-end of the hoisting deto said element upon elevating the latter, the

l ascent of the weight being variable, and said .35

Weight being freed from thejchecking element after having made a partial descent andv thereafter being left unsupported and free to drop by gravity, an electric motor for actuating the checking element, a switch controlling the motor circuit, a swinging member in the path of the weight' and actuated thereby, and operating means for-the aforesaid switch' connected tosaid member.

4. A time-controlled"mechanism comprising afhoisting device having article-supporting means at one end, a weight connected to the other end of the hoisting device, an element -for checking the descent of -the Weight, means for coupling the weight to said element upon elevating the latter, the

' ascent'of the weight being variable, and said weight .being freed from'the checking lelement after having made apartial descent and thereafter being left unsupported and freetoV d-rop,` by gravity, an electric-motor for-actuating the checking element, a switch controlling the motor` circuit, a rock shaft,

arocker armcarried by said shaft, a'lmember carried by said arm and extending intoy the path of the Weight, and operating means for the-aforesaid switch carried by the shaft.

A time-controlled mechanism ycomprisf ing a hoistingv device having article-,sup-` porting means`at one end, a weight connected' to the other end ofthe hoisting dey a rockery arm carried by said shaft, a member free to drop by gravity, an electric-motor for actuating the checking element, a switch controlling the motor circuit, a rock shaft,

carried by said arm and extending into the path of the weight, a second rocker arm on the shaft, and an actuating member for the aforesaidy switch engageable by said second rocker arm.- p

6. A time-controlled mechanism comprising a hoisting device having article-supporting means at one end, a Weight connected to the other end of the hoisting device, a rack bar on' the weight, a pinion engageablewith thegrack bar upon elevating the Weight, the ascent of the latter being variable, amotor fordri'ving the pinion in a direction to allow the weight to descend, the pinionand the rack bar separating after thel .-Weight has made a partial descent, after which the weight is left free to drop by gravity, and motor-controlling means actuated bythe weight.

A time-controlled mechanism comprising a hoisting device having article-supportingmeans at one end, a weight' connected to the other. end of the hoisting device, a rack bar on the weight, `a pinion engageable 'with the rack bar upon elevating the weight,l the ascent of the latter being variable, an electric motor for drivingthe pinion in the direction to allow the weight to descend, the pinion and the rack bar Separating after the weight has madea partial descent, after which the weight is left freev to drop by gravity, and motor-.controlling means actu,-

rection to allow the weight to descend, theA pinion and the rack bar separating after the weight has made a partial descent, after which the weight is left free to drop by gravity, a switch controlling the motor circuit, and actuating means lfor said switch controlled by the Weight.

9. A time-controlled mechanism compris-` ing a hoisting device' havin article-supporting means at one end, laweightl connected to the other end of the hoisting device, an element for checking the descent ofthe weight,

'means for coupling the weight to said element upon elevating the latter, the ascent of the Weight being variable, and said Weight being freed from vthe checking element after having made a partial descent and thereafter being left unsupported and free to drop by gravity, a motor for actuating the checking element controlled by the Weight, and a vertically adjustable stop above the Weight.

10. A time-controlled mechanism comprising a hoisting device having article-supporting means at one end, a Weight connected to the other end of the hoisting device, a rack bar on the Weight, a pinion engageable with the rack bar upon elevating the Weight, the ascent of the latter being variable, a shaft on whichthe pinion is loosely mounted, a ratchet Wheel fast on said shaft, a pawl car ried by the pinion and engaging the ratchet Wheel, and a motor for driving the shaft, said shaft through the ratchet Wheel and the paWl turning the pinion in a direction to allow the Weight to descend, the pinion and the rack bar separating after the Weight has :momma ascent of the latter being variable, a shaft on which the pinion is loosely mounted, a ratchet Wheel fast on said shaft, a pavvl carried by the pinion and engaging the ratchet Wheel, a motor for driving the shaft, said shaft through the ratchet Wheel and the pawl turning the pinion in a direction to allow the Weight to descend, the pinion and the rackv bar separating after the Weight has made a partial descent, afterl which the Weight is left free to drop by gravity, and motor-controlling means actuated by the Weight.

In testimony whereof ll aiiix my signature.

Joran J. Nonrn. 

